With varicose veins, the blood stagnates in the valves of the blood vessels, causing the veins to expand and swell. The process is accompanied by a change in their color. Veins on the legs usually turn purple or blue, make themselves felt (protrude above the surface of the skin). Varicose veins are considered a cosmetic defect, but some people susceptible to this pathology suffer from physical discomfort.
Medicines for varicose veins relieve the following symptoms:
- pain (especially when walking);
- swelling;
- feeling of heaviness (or fullness) at the point of localization of varicose veins;
- cramps (more often at night);
- Skin changes and the occurrence of concomitant diseases (dermatitis, eczema).
Important! It is impossible to completely cure varicose veins, but various therapeutic methods will help curb the manifestations of the pathology and their further development.
How do you recognize the first signs of varicose veins?
In order to start treating varicose veins on time, you need to know what symptoms indicate an impending disease. There are 6 stages of varicose veins:
- the onset of the disease, which is indicated by edema, heaviness in the legs and night cramps in the muscles of the lower leg, nocturnal change in the temperature of the legs - they are either hot or cold;
- The first stage is characterized by the appearance of spider veins.
- on the second, thickening of the veins and formation of nodules on them;
- The third leads to severe swelling of the legs in the evening.
The last two stages are the formation of trophic ulcers. The change in skin color on the legs in the affected areas should also be alarming. It takes on a brown tint. The greatest success of treatment can be achieved in the initial stage and in the first stage. Therefore, at the first symptoms, it is necessary to consult a doctor and begin treatment.
The problem of varicose veins is particularly acute in pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. The manifestations of the disease significantly worsen the condition, and the options for treatment are limited. Therefore, when evaluating drugs for varicose veins, we will pay attention to the possibility of their use during these periods.
Groups of drugs for the treatment of varicose veins
To treat varicose veins, several types of drugs are used: ointments, creams, tablets, injections. All medicines belong to one of the following groups:
- Disaggregants. Medicines that relieve pain and accompanying symptoms (fever, burning sensation, headache). They also tend to thin the blood. For varicose veins, drugs of this group are often prescribed in the form of tablets or injectable solutions.
- Phlebotonics. They are used to treat chronic varicose veins. The drugs increase the elasticity of blood vessels, strengthen their walls and improve microcirculation in the blood. With prolonged use, phlebotonics stop the symptoms of varicose veins and prevent the further development of the pathology.
- anticoagulants. Blood thinning medication. They are used to decrease the visibility of veins and reduce swelling. They are mostly cosmetic.
- antioxidants. They are used to speed up the outflow of fluids, increase elasticity, and strengthen blood vessels. Antioxidants help fight the cosmetic manifestations of varicose veins (reticular veins), but they also have a therapeutic effect.
The doctor can also prescribe decongestants and saline injections during treatment.
Important! In addition to medication, compression stockings are used to combat the manifestations of varicose veins. It can be special stockings or tights that will inhibit the progression of pathology.
Disaggregants
Disaggregation agents or platelet aggregation inhibitors should only be used after consulting a doctor or for a short time. Medicines from this group thin the blood so that they can cause a number of side effects:
- prolonged bleeding;
- drop in blood pressure (blood pressure);
- dizziness, malaise.
Important! An absolute contraindication to their use is heart failure (regardless of the stage of the disease).
Taking acetylsalicylic acid alone is dangerous, as side effects can occur (especially a sharp decrease in the rate of blood clotting).
Important! Platelet aggregation inhibitors in combination with anticoagulants increase the risk of thrombosis. Therefore, the use of drugs from these categories is recommended separately.
Phlebotonics
Preparations from the phlebotonic group have a complex effect on the body. With varicose veins they fulfill the most important therapeutic functions: They increase the elasticity of the blood vessels and stabilize the blood flow.
The most effective substances in this category:
- rutoside. Refers to vitamins of group P: the substance is contained in various dosage forms (especially in tablets). Rutoside is found in vegetables, fruits and berries.
- pentoxifylline. It has a positive effect on the microcirculation of the blood and on its rheological properties (flowability, viscoplasticity). Pentoxifylline drugs also work on blood vessels to increase their elasticity.
- hesperidin. A substance that reduces the elasticity of the veins, the congestion of blood and the permeability of the capillary walls. Also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Preparations from this group are extracted from natural compounds. Medicines have a minimum of side effects due to their natural origin.
Anticoagulants
Preparations from the group of anticoagulants have anticoagulant properties. A popular drug in this category is heparin. It is a direct acting drug. It comes in the form of a solution for injection. It is administered either intravenously (in particularly severe cases) or subcutaneously (as part of complex therapy).
Important! The above drugs should not be used for bleeding and pregnancy. Anticoagulants are not recommended for women who are breastfeeding.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are more commonly used to prevent or reduce the risk of varicose veins progressing. These drugs are optional.
Additional recommendations
To relieve the painful symptoms of varicose veins, you need to take a warm or hot bath, exercise, and bathe more often. The exercises depend on the stage of the disease.
Also, direct sunlight (and, in principle, any warming of the area of localization of the pathology) helps with varicose veins. With this method, however, it is important to use products with a sun protection factor so as not to accelerate skin aging and increase the risk of cancer.
Tablets against varicose veins
Self-medication against varicose veins is the most popular therapy method. The Internet is full of wonder recipes about apple cider vinegar, leeches, and other magical technologies, and our fellow citizens love to believe it. Varicose veins can now be cured cheaply or even for free by certified specialists, but wonder shamans are still very popular. These are likely remnants of the primitive community system of our ancestors. Only pain can make a person chase a doctor. We will diligently smear various nasty things on uncomplicated varicose veins in the hope that one day they will go away.
Medicine against varicose veins
The vast majority of people who choose between surgical treatment of a disease (in our case with varicose veins) and possible non-invasive treatment, be it capsules, tablets for varicose veins, gels, ointments, herbs and infusions, willespecially opt for the latterif they report from all screens about their effectiveness and uselessness of operations. The amount of information for numbing patients can be judged by the number of ads for pills and creams for varicose veins on all federal channels, where happy girls easily run away after smearing miracle cream on their healthy legs or taking miracle pills.
What to do and what to take with varicose veins?
Before the standard offer to contact our center, we will inform you about really effective methods that may facilitate the course of the disease.
In this section we suggest forgetting about the terribly potent pills that "help" with varicose veins and remembering traditional and proven methods.
Massage and bath for varicose veins
Unlike many of the cheap phlebotonics advertised, massage is a method of actively treating varicose veins, helping to prevent edema, eliminate swelling, reduce lower extremity fatigue, and reduce overall body fatigue.
The Innovative Vascular Center uses all types of modern massages, especially for pathologies of the lymphatic and venous system. One of the exclusive methods is the technology of lymphatic drainage massage with banding, which is very effective in relieving chronic venous insufficiency.
In chronic venous insufficiency, massage is used to eliminate venous hypertension in varicose veins and post-thrombotic syndrome. The combination of this technology with banding allows you to effectively eliminate all clinical manifestations of the disease.
Therapeutic massage is a very effective means of symptomatic treatment of varicose veins on the legs, but only provides temporary relief. We use manual lymphatic drainage in patients with severe edema in patients with lymphovenous insufficiency. There is no need to be afraid of "ripping off blood clots" with such treatment, but it should not be used in the event of an exacerbation.
But the bathroom is a completely different matter: it is very dangerous with varicose veins, thrombophlebitis of the lower extremities or post-thrombotic diseases. Any thermal exposure can cause blood clots to form in deep veins carried by the blood flow, with all the ensuing consequences. Dehydration in the bathroom causes the blood to "thicken". You shouldn't expose yourself to unnecessary risks. Varicose veins from the bath do not go away, and thrombophlebitis may well develop.
Laser treatment of varicose veins
Varicose veins - a disease that deposits in treatment does not tolerate. If a person does not pay proper attention to the course of the disease, he unwittingly worsens his situation and increases the likelihood of surgery.
Medicine is evolving every day and it is good that there are alternatives to surgery these days - treating varicose veins with a laser.
The laser treatment of varicose veins is the same effective method as the operation, but absolutely painless.In contrast to medication, speed is a particular advantage. Laser treatment is used in hospitals and beauty salons when a small amount of varicose veins - spider veins - need to be removed.
First, the doctor injects pain medication into the patient and sticks the damaged veins together with a laser. After such a procedure, the patient must wear compression underwear for a year.
The first results are visible within 5-7 months after the laser treatment. Many patients prefer this solution to the problem because, unlike pills and other drugs, laser therapy is quick, cheap, effective, and not painful.
Folk remedies for the treatment of varicose veins
Sometimes it happens that a person is forced to stop traditional treatment for varicose veins due to an individual intolerance to pills and medication.There is no need to worry as natural ingredients are found in the same creams, ointments and other preparations.Many harmful chemicals are added to them alone.
However, one must not forget that all folk remedies are effective only in the initial stages of varicose veins. Traditional medical prescriptions, like traditional medicines, are aimed at improving blood circulation.
Before effective drugs appeared in the fight against varicose veins, our ancestors used homemade creams, ointments, infusions, lotions made from birch leaves, chestnuts, burdock, apple cider vinegar, hops and marigolds. Such drugs treated sore legs no worse than many modern drugs and expensive pills.
For example, a natural medicine made from infused crushed Kalanchoe leaves was rubbed into the legs for a month, the pain syndrome disappeared, and the venous networks became less noticeable. A similar natural supplement worked quite well and was clearly not inferior to pills.
If you have pronounced symptoms that disrupt everyday life and make it uncomfortable, and you suspect varicose veins in the legs, you do not need to prescribe pills and medication independently. It is recommended to visit a phlebologist who will professionally select an individual remedy for the treatment of varicose veins.
horse chestnut
In folk medicine, the first place belongs to the horse chestnut. The effectiveness of the treatment of varicose veins is based on the content of several substances in the plant:
- escin strengthens the walls of blood vessels, thins the blood and has an antibacterial effect;
- Esculin prevents the formation of a vascular network (strengthens capillaries and other small vessels) and prevents blood clots;
- Tannins have the ability to bind protein and fix it to the vessel wall, which increases its strength.
- rutin reduces the permeability of the vessel wall;
- Kaempferol helps with tissue regeneration, heals ulcers and works against cancer.
The result of using folk remedies based on horse chestnut is achieved with a course treatment. It manifests itself in a decrease in edema, swollen veins, heaviness, itching and pain. The downside of the horse chestnut is the impossibility of handling it while carrying a baby and while breastfeeding. Like any folk remedy, it is just an addition to drug therapy. Effective drugs were developed on the basis of horse chestnut extract.
Apple cider vinegar
Even official medicine recognizes its benefits for treating varicose veins. A large amount of nutrients - acids, amino acids, vitamins and minerals - allows you to fight multiple manifestations of varicose veins at the same time. The application of apple cider vinegar enables:
- normalizes the vascular tone;
- increases the elasticity of the skin and avoids the thinning that is normally associated with the disease;
- remove swelling;
- , to increase the tone of smooth muscles;
- soothes inflammation due to the antiseptic properties of apple cider vinegar.
Commercial apple cider vinegar is not suitable for treating varicose veins. The homemade version is easy to prepare with fresh apples. There are two uses - external and internal. Concentrated vinegar is used for baths, compresses, wraps and pour over. It must be diluted for oral administration. The tool can only be used when there is no risk of blood clots.
Compression aids
Compression stockings and knee socks account for 50% of the success of treating varicose veins. Their main purpose is to improve the functioning of the venous valve mechanism, the venous-muscular pump and microcirculation, that is, the ability of the capillaries to absorb extracellular fluid. These goals are achieved by applying pressure to the muscles in specific areas. There is a preventive underwear, there is a medical one. The more severe the stage of the disease, the more pressure the stockings should put. Prophylactic drugs are available free of charge, drugs are only sold by prescription.
wound healing dressings
Late stages of varicose veins are characterized by the appearance of trophic ulcers. It is a serious condition that often requires hospital treatment and care. To help with trophic ulcers, different agents are used depending on the condition and stage of treatment. One of these is a healing dressing that cleanses the wound and absorbs exudate.
Our review is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation for use of the above treatments for varicose veins. Specific appointments can only be made by the attending physician based on the patient's condition and the individual characteristics of his body.
Effective drugs for the prevention of thrombosis in varicose veins
Thrombophlebitis is a common complication of varicose veins of the lower extremities, especially during pregnancy and after childbirth. Low molecular weight heparin is a proven drug for preventing vascular thrombus. For the prevention of thrombophlebitis after the treatment of varicose veins in our clinic, tablets are used. Treatment with pills is carried out 7 days after laser or radio frequency intervention.
It is better to seek advice from a phlebologist, and then, as a specialist with higher medical education, he will conduct a full examination and prescribe appropriate treatment, including drug therapy (the best tablets for hateful varicose veins), but stillthe most effective cure for varicose veins will be -Laser coagulation.
Remember that the best remedy for any disease, and even for varicose veins, is an active and healthy lifestyle. Therapeutic exercises, walks in the fresh air strengthen the vein wall better than any pill. Proper way of working and rest, using an elevated position to relieve tension in the legs, swimming in the sea and in the pool - these measures are the best preventive and curative means. Do not assume that the packaging of Antistax tablets is no longer chemical preparations if the packaging of Antistax tablets says "Made from grape leaves". Why poison yourself with ineffective drugs, when it is impossible to get rid of varicose veins with their help?